


Cosmic Raindance

by Rise_Comics



Series: Vapor Memory [1]
Category: Ranma 1/2
Genre: Alternate History, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Humor, Canon-Typical Violence, F/F, Humor, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Retrotech, Trans Female Character, Trans Male Character
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-18
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-05-14 08:21:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19269382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rise_Comics/pseuds/Rise_Comics
Summary: November 7, 1985Ranma and Genma Saotome return to Japan after a 14 year training trip. What happens next is history





	1. Enter, A New World

**November 7, 1985 - 8:45 PM**

 

It was a particularly dreary end to an otherwise normal day as the rain pounded on the rooftops of Tokyo’s Nerima Ward. 

 

At that moment, a panda rushed past oncoming traffic, carrying a very pissed off redhead over its shoulder.

 

“Let me go you fat fuck!” the redhead shouted, gaining the attention of the surrounding passersby. With a lot of effort and with the help of the distraction the crowd provided, she broke free from the panda and darted away as fast as possible. 

 

**Tendo Residence - 8:50 PM**

 

A tall man with a Burt Reynolds mustache looked at the postcard with anticipation. His three daughters, Kasumi, Nabiki, and Akane, sat across from him at the dining table.

 

“Girls, my old friend is finally returning from his trip in China, and he’s bringing his son Ranma with him.” he said, as tears of joy cascaded.”

 

“Do you know what he’s like?” Nabiki asked.

 

“Ha ha, nope” 

 

“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?” Akane screamed. “WHY WOULD YOU ENGAGE US TO PEOPLE WE DON”T EVEN KNOW!”

 

At that moment, a redhead crashed through the front door and collapsed to the floor.

 

“Are you okay?” Kasumi asked the redhead as she helped her up.

 

“Yeah, I’m fine.” The redhead replied. “Just exhausted.”

 

“Are you okay? Who are you?” Akane asked the redhead.

 

“I’m fine. And the name’s Ranma.”

 

“Ranma boy, glad you’re okay” Soun shouted, as he hugged Ranma.

 

‘Wait, he doesn’t feel like a guy’ Soun thought 

 

“Sorry. I wasn’t expecting you to be.. you know,”

 

“A girl?” Ranma asked, with apprehension.

 

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that.” Soun sputtered, trying to save face.

 

“Nice save” Nabiki snarked.

 

“So where is your father?”

 

“I think he’s lost,” Ranma said. ‘and I hope he stays that way’ Ranma mentally added. 

 

“Do you need a shower.” Akane asked.

 

“Yeah, that’d be nice.” Ranma replied. “Also, I never got your name.”

 

“The name’s Akane.”

 

“That’s a nice name.”

 

“Th-thanks.” Akane stuttered, turning away to hide the blush creeping on her face.

 

“So, are you a martial artist as well?” Ranma asked, oblivious to the now luminous blush on Akane’s face.

 

Perking up from her stupor, Akane replied, “Of course I am”

 

“So, you up for some sparring?” Ranma asked, with a smirk.

 

“Sure, why not?” Akane replied. “We can spar in the dojo.”

 

With that, Akane guided Ranma into the dojo for a quick sparring session.


	2. Alleys of her mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls engage in a sparring session, and a familiar Amazon enters the story ahead of schedule.

Tendo Dojo - 8:55 PM - November 7, 1985

The two girls stood on opposite sides of the dojo, Akane with her hands up in a combat stance and Ranma with her hands crossed, with an analytical look on her face.

“Don’t keep your knees locked. Your opponent sees that, and they’ll be able to catch you moving.  
Akane rushed at the redhead, expecting a block.  
Ranma instead gracefully leaped over the bluenette as said bluenette tried landing a punch on her.

“Case in point, that”

Akane tried going for a roundhouse kick as Ranma landed behind her.

“You’re really strong, I’ll give you that” Ranma said, as she blocked the kick. “But you’re telegraphing your moves.”

Akane tried retaliating with another punch.  
“Don’t lock your elbows.” Ranma said, as she prodded the joint, bending it. “A good hit here and you’re down an arm.”

At this point, Akane really got mad, both for Ranma easily avoiding her and for the flaws in the style being pointed out as it happened.

She retaliated with a roundhouse kick, that Ranma once again caught.

“You definitely shouldn’t have your thigh and shin moving together like that.” she said, letting go of the leg.

“Well, my Dad hasn’t trained me, ever since Mom died.” Akane replied, with a melancholic tone.

Ranma replied with a hug, flustering the other girl.  
“I’m so sorry for your loss Akane.” she said. ‘But at least you did get to know her.’ she mentally added.

“Anyways, enough sadness, so you wanted a hot shower?” Akane asked.

“Yeah,” Ranma replied. “hadn’t had one in forever.”

“Well, There’s a bathroom down the hall when you turn right. It’s the second door on your left”

“Thanks Akane” Ranma said, as she raced down the hall towards the bathroom.

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport - 10:00 PM

A lavender haired girl looked out of the windows of the terminal gate, watching the planes take off and land. As she waited for her flight to arrive, she reflected on how it all started.

A Month Prior

It was the annual Nujiezu martial arts tournament, where all of the best warriors in the village fought for the prize of a great feast.

It was in that tournament that Shampoo curbstomped the competition, as she did every year. As she got off the log used as the platform, she saw a redheaded outsider and her panda chomping down on the feast that was to be her prize. As she walked towards the interlopers, chui in hand, she observed the redhead freeze in terror, while the panda continued to ingest the food.

And so she challenged the redhead to a fight, believing her to be at fault for stealing her food at the time.

And for the first time in a long time, she lost.  
And as per Amazon tradition, she gave the Kiss of Death to the redhead, prepared to track her and the panda down to the ends of the earth to kill her or die in the process. However her pride drove her to insist on carrying it out by herself, a decision she was ultimately thankful for, considering what she learned about the duo during the pursuit.

For starters, she immediately found that the panda, named Genma, was actually a victim of a jusenkyo curse, and that the same applied to the girl, named Ranma.

And that Ranma actually preferred to be female as much as possible, to the chagrin of the misogynistic fatass of a father that was Genma, who constantly insisted that she was a boy.

To be fair, she did look fairly attractive as a girl, at least in Shampoo’s opinion. But that’s besides the point.

Anyways, as she continued following them, she found out the true extent of the relationship between the panda and the cursed girl, mainly that it was anything but loving, since Genma was a sack of pus that constantly abused and manipulated Ranma under the pretense of training, and often left her without food or a tent while he ate like a fucking king. He even used her to make money for himself and left her to do all the dirty work while he drank his ass of somewhere

Honestly, she really hated the waste of oxygen that was Genma Saotome.

But she did have a Kiss of Death to uphold, and she was 80% sure that she was being followed by her fellow Amazons. So she occasionally attacked the duo, but always tried to make sure that she got Ranma away from that bastard. Sometimes it worked, and she’d leave her stuff like food and money. Other times, she failed, losing them. And the last attempt was one of those times.

Piecing together the bits of info she got from eavesdropping on them, as well as whatever she got from people that may have seen them, she figured out that they were going to a place in Japan called Nerima, which was a ward in Japan. And that the reason for this was to get her engaged to one of the daughters of someone named Soun Tendo, a person who the tub of lard referred to as an old friend.

In the present

Shampoo’s train of thought was interrupted by the voice announcing that the flight has arrived. Taking a backpack and a carry on suitcase, she boarded the CAAC Airlines IL-62, bound for Tokyo.

And as she got on the plane, she swore that Genma Saotome will pay for everything he did to her Airen.


	3. It Is What It Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The confrontation happens, and a new face appears.

**Tendo Residence - 9:10 PM**

 

Ranma bolted into the shower after the spar, forgetting to lock the door. 

 

As the shower stream cascaded over her body, the Jusenkyo curse started taking effect. Crimson hair turned black as water ran through her locks while her legs and back grew longer, and her chest shrunk.

 

While this happened, Ranma took the time to reflect over how it came to this.

 

_ Jusenkyo _

 

They had arrived at Jusenkyo on an unusually hot day. Ranma was tired and hungry as usual, Genma was being an ass and poorly disguising it behind training, the usual stuff.

 

The guide was helpful enough to point out the cursed pools and their effects, as well as warning them not to fall in.

 

Of course, Genma ignored the warning, and ended up shoving Ranma into the Spring of Drowned Girl, and Genma in the Spring of Drowned Panda.

 

When Ranma hit the cursed spring, something awakened in her, as if suddenly, everything felt right.    
  
Ironically, becoming a girl ended up making Ranma more manly and confident than she was as a guy, like she could take on anything the world could throw at her. It felt perfect.

 

And then the panda had to constantly ruin it, either by shoving her into trouble like back in the Joketsuzoku tribe village, or just by doubling down on his “training” methods. And sometimes, he just transforms her into guy form just because he felt that she wasn’t “manly” or that she was “weak”. 

 

And then she had a stroke in Guangzhou. Of course, the fatass ignored it and took the opportunity to put her in a bag and fly first class to Tokyo, something she guessed from waking up in what looked like the cargo hold of a Lockheed Andromeda. And then she lost him somewhere in Nerima and-GAHWHATTHEFUCK

 

_ Back in the Present _

 

Ranma snapped back to reality as she heard the sound of the sliding door open. Mutely, two pairs of eyes - one shocked, one terrified - panned downwards.

 

_ Dining Room _

 

The Tendo family and the Saotome family sat together at the table. While Genma and Soun were happily making up for lost time, there was a tense atmosphere in the room, accompanied by a pair of blushing messes sitting as far away from the part time panda as possible.

 

“This is Ranma, my  _ son _ .” Genma said, emphasizing the word son to drill it into Ranma’s mind “ _ He  _ and I have been travelling ever since  _ he  _ was two”

 

“I’m not a guy dumbass.” Ranma retorted, with barely concealed anger.

 

“So what’s the deal with the curse?” Soun asked. “How did you get it?”

 

“It’s a long and terrible-” Genma managed, before getting cut off.

 

“He fell in a pool, I fell in a pool, he got cursed, I got blessed, and then got chased by Amazons thanks to this fat fuck.” Ranma interjected pointing at Genma. “He then knocked me out, shoved me into the cargo hold of a jet, and got himself a seat on the plane. I ran away as soon as I could, hoping that I lost him in Hikarigaoka, but apparently that failed” she added, before splashing water on her face, changing back into her girl form. 

 

“Don’t steal my thunder  _ boy _ .” Genma snarled, before pouncing at Ranma. Before Ranma could do something, Akane attacked with a powerful punch, launching him into the koi pond and turning him into a panda.

 

Soun, fearing what might happen next, changed the topic, to the relief of Kasumi and Ranma, and the chagrin of Akane and Nabiki. 

 

“So, here are my daughters. You already know their names.” Soun said. “So who do you want to marry?” 

 

“I thought I made it clear that I wasn't a guy.” Ranma said, with a hint of annoyance.

 

“Who said anything about having to be a guy?” Soun asked, inciting confusion among the people in the room.

 

“Wait, I thought Japanese law didn’t allow that.” Nabiki replied. “Though it could be done in another place… like either Canada or America.”

 

“Exactly” Soun replied, “you can marry in Miami.”

 

“Okay then,” Ranma replied. “I guess I’ll marry Akane.”

 

“Then it’s settled, Ranma can sleep in Akane’s room.” 

 

“Wait, WHAT!” Akane shouted.

 

Soun whispered into Akane’s ear. “Do you really want her to stay with Genma? You saw what happened.”

 

“Oh, okay.” Akane replied, before bringing Ranma to her room.

 

As they went, Genma sauntered back into the dining room, before Soun splashed him with hot water. 

 

“It seems like Ranma has convinced your daughters that my  _ boy _ is a wimpy girl” Genma semi-sneered.

 

“She looks like a girl, she acts like a girl, and she seems more confident as a girl. She  _ is  _ a girl for all intents and purposes, whether you like it or not.” Soun angrily replied. 

 

“Not you too” Genma whined.

 

Soun pinned him against the wall, barely restraining his anger. “Bitch, you’re lucky I’m even  _ letting  _ you stay, especially after what you did. Be thankful that Akane only punched you into the koi pond and didn’t kill you then and there.”

 

“But-”

 

“DID I FUCKING STUTTER?” Soun said, clenching Gemma’s throat harder, almost ready to burst a vessel.

 

“G-got it” Genma managed to choke out, before getting dropped to the floor. 

 

“The engagement will still happen, regardless of gender. And also, you owe me one.”

 

Genma slinked off to his sleeping quarters, before realizing that he didn’t know where he was supposed to sleep.

 

“The guest room is on the other side” Soun replied. “It’s the second door to the left.”

 

Genma turned around and made his way to the guest bedroom.

 

_ Akane’s Room _

 

The pair of girls sat awkwardly on the bed for what seemed like forever.

 

“Um, sorry for walking on you in the bathroom.” Akane said, breaking the silence.

 

“It’s okay. And thanks for doing what you did back there” Ranma replied, blushing a bit.

 

“So you’re really a girl?” Akane asked, hoping she didn’t make anything worse.

 

“Yeah, I am a girl.” Ranma replied. “Also, you seem to be taking this a lot better than I thought.”

 

“Well,” Akane started, wording out what she’s going to say next before speaking. “let’s just say that this has happened before.” 

 

“Oh really?” Ranma asked, curiosity piqued.

 

“Kasumi can tell it better than I can.” Akane said

 

“Okay then.” Ranma replied. “Is it okay if I sleep here?”

 

“Sure, why not?”

 

When Kasumi arrived to check on them later that night, he saw the pair snuggled up against each other. Trying not to wake them up, she closed the door and walked away.

 

“They make an adorable couple” she said to no one in particular as she walked back to her room.

 

**Tokyo-Narita - 2:30 AM - November 8, 1985**

 

The passengers  on the CAAC Airlines IL-62 disembarked the plane, happy to not have to listen to the ear piercing shriek of the engines anymore. Among the passengers was Shampoo, wearing western clothing to remain incognito while in Japan. 

 

As she disembarked the plane, she looked around to make sure that she was not being followed, before darting into a nearby shop to grab a phone book and map. 

 

‘There’s a Nodoka Saotome listed here, but no Genma or Ranma Saotome?’ Shampoo thought. ‘I guess it makes sense. And from what that panda has muttered, they’re actively avoiding her, so that crosses her off. Guess that narrows it down to the Tendo family.’ she rationalized. ‘Couldn’t hurt to contact Nodoka. She might be a useful ally. But first, I need to find a place to stay.’ 

 

With that, Shampoo copied the phone number and address of the Tendo Residence on the map before returning the phone book and getting out of the terminal.

 

Unbeknownst to Shampoo, there was another passenger on the plane intent on finding Ranma. 

 

Once a close friend of Ranma, Ryoga got angry at her for skipping a duel they were to have, and swore to track her down to finish what they started. This turned to outright hatred once Jusenkyo got involved, since getting cursed to be a pig was humiliating on top of having an abysmal sense of direction. So when he heard that they were headed to Nerima from a Lavender haired girl, he boarded the first flight to Tokyo, which somehow had the same girl on board. But that doesn’t matter, as he was one step closer to revenge against Ranma Saotome.

 

“I AM ONE STEP CLOSER TO REVENGE!” he proclaimed. “PREPARE YOURSELF RANMA, FOR I WILL FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED!”

 

With that he started running, before climbing up an escalator and emerging in Times Square.

 

“Well shit, here we go again” Ryoga sighed, before getting a hot dog from a nearby cart, unaware of the gigantic marshmallow man climbing a skyscraper just a few blocks away.


	4. The New Wave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ranma and Akane go to school, and one of Soun's demons gets yeeted into the spotlight.

**Tendo Residence - 7:45 AM - November 8, 1985**

 

Ranma woke up later than normal, expecting to get punched in the face, or groin. Instead, she saw an empty bed.

 

Making her way downstairs, she saw Kasumi hard at work making breakfast.

 

“Morning Kasumi-san” Ranma greeted, as she made her way to the kitchen. 

“Good morning Ranma.” Kasumi replied. “By the way, Akane went for her morning jog earlier.”

 

“So that’s why she wasn’t there.” Ranma said to herself. “Wait, how did you know I would ask that?”

 

“You and Akane really seemed to get along.” Kasumi replied. 

 

“W-WE’RE JUST FRIENDS ” Ranma shouted, her face glowing redder than her hair.

 

“Ah, to be young and in love”

 

At that moment, Nabiki popped into the room. Seeing an opportunity, Nabiki started teasing Ranma.

 

“So you two were going at it like rabbits last night?” she asked.

 

“W-WE WEREN’T DOING THAT” Ranma yelled, her face now flashing in shades of red little known to mankind.

 

“I know” Nabiki replied. “I’m just screwing with you.”

 

“THAT WASN’T EVEN FUNNY NABIKI.” Ranma 

 

“I find it hilarious.” Nabiki replied, a trollish grin now visible on her face.

 

Ranma toned out the ensuing conversation between Nabiki and Kasumi as she started listening to the radio serving as background noise.

 

“ _ -and this just in, the Soviet Union has confirmed that a Kamov KA-52 attack helicopter has been stolen from the Soviet Pacific Fleet in Vladivostok. The chopper, a 2 seat prototype variant of the KA-50, was conducting carrier testing when it suddenly flew off course and made a beeline to the south. The pilot and the chopper are both still at large, and America has denied all involvement in the theft-” _

 

“Sounds like this might be a real diplomatic crisis.” Kasumi commented.

 

“My question is how someone could steal an attack chopper and not get shot down.” Nabiki said.

 

“That happened a year ago.” Ranma remarked. “And if my hunch is right, the people just waltzed in and flew off with it.”

 

“Wait, how do you know that?” Nabiki asked.

 

“Well, the potato and I travelled with this hiker dude, I think he went by Derrick, in China for the better part of a year. Dude talked about stealing a military chopper for money I think? And last I saw of him, he took the panda with him and disappeared for about a month. Best month I had at up to that point.” Ranma’s voice then took a bitter tone. “Of course, I never saw any money from it.”

 

“I’d say that your father’s a douche, but that’d be an understatement.” Nabiki replied. “Also, he helped steal the chopper?” 

 

“Yep. After that, the hiker guy dropped the potato just outside of Harbin, and flew south, or maybe east? I dunno.”

 

At that moment, Genma decided that it was the perfect time to ambush Ranma with a blow to the head. And their usual morning routine made its delayed entrance, to the chagrin and amusement of Nabiki, and the barely concealed annoyance of Kasumi.

 

_ 15 minutes and a breakfast later _

 

Akane had arrived from her morning jog to the sight of a soaked panda, a pissed off redhead, two sisters with a bag of popcorn each, her father with waterworks, and a broken wall.

 

“Okay, what the fuck happened here?” she asked to Kasumi, as nearly everyone in the house at that moment pointed to the panda.

 

**Miami - 10:50 PM - November 7, 1985**

 

A mostly unremarkable looking man was about to sleep after a long day of utter stupidity at work. As he was drifting off, the brick of a cellphone started ringing.

 

The man quickly answered the phone and spoke. “It’s 10 and I’m trying to sle-” 

 

“Is this the number for Juan Tendo?” the voice on the other end asked.

 

“Soun? Is that really you?” Juan asked, somewhat surprised at the identity of the caller.

 

“What? Can’t I just talk with my cousin?” Soun tried to ask

 

Juan’s surprise turned to frustration. “Cut the crap Soun, it’s been nearly 10 years since Kimiko died, so you’ve either gotten over it, or you’re desperate, and I’m 80% sure it’s the latter. So how did you screw up this time?

 

With mild frustration, Soun started, “Fine, so my old friend Genma finally came back-”

 

“That idiot showed his ugly face again?” Juan asked, facepalming while doing so.

 

“Anyways, he and his daughter came back from China for the engagement agreement we had-”

 

“Soun, this is 1985, why do you still believe in this en-.”Juan interjected, before being interrupted by Soun.

 

“ANYWAYS, they came back from China, but Ranma ran away from him and came here. I didn’t know why until Genma arrived. Apparently, Ranma was a boy who fell in one of the cursed springs in Jusenkyo, and was born a boy.”

 

“So she was cursed by the springs?” Juan asked, now curious about what Soun said.

 

“Somewhat yes and somewhat no. She spent more time as a girl, and Genma got irritated by it and started acting like an ass. I guess I lost it and snapped at him. Akane even punched him into the koi pond.”

 

“And that’s why you’re calling me.” Juan said 

 

“And that’s why- you’re annoying, you know that?”

 

“I’m not wrong.” Juan replied. “Although from what Kasumi told me, it was completely justified.

 

“Wait,  _ Kasumi _ told you?.” Soun asked, surprise in his voice.

 

“She and I both knew this was going to happen, and I told her to let me know when it did,” Juan replied, “but that’s a topic for another day.”

 

“So what do I do about the situation?” Soun asked.

 

“Right now, keep Ranma and Genma as far away as possible from each other.” Juan answered, before drinking some water.

 

“That’s what I was trying to do.“ Soun said.

 

“But Genma’s making it hard?” 

 

“Precisely.”

 

“Soun, just get rid of that cabrón, for your sake and for your family’s sake. In the meantime, I’m sending some money your way.”

 

“Thanks, but I-“

 

“Don’t mention it. I have a feeling that whatever salary you’re making will not cover the cost.”

 

At that, the call suddenly cut off.

 

“Hello?” Juan said, only hearing the dial tone.

 

“ _ Of course  _ he hangs up. Hopefully he grows a fucking spine.” He mused, before going to sleep.

  
  


**Furinkan High - 8:15 AM**

 

After the chaos at the Tendo household, Nabiki decided to yeet out of the house and get to school, leaving Akane to take Ranma to school.

 

While Akane walked the normal way, Ranma walked on the fences.

 

“So, uh, what’s school like?” Ranma asked.

 

“Wait, you’ve never been to school?” Akane replied, surprised by Ranma’s question.

 

“Last time I was in school was that one year attending school in Sapporo,” Ranma said, before her face darkened. “and that ended when I got dragged to China.”

 

“And that was?” Akane asked, with a bit of morbid curiosity.

 

“I think it was around 1978-79? I don’t exactly remember.”

 

“I would like it, but I HATE BOYS” Akane shouted.

 

“How does it relate to- oh, you mean them?” Ranma asked, pointing to the crowd of boys in front of the gate.

 

Akane didn’t hear Ranma’s question, as she started fighting off the horde of horribly outclassed boys. 

 

As this was happening, Nabiki opened one of the third floor windows and told Ranma to get inside.

 

“GET IN, YOU DON’T WANNA BE LATE” She shouted.

 

Ranma started running past the horde, shoving aside a few horde members getting in her way.

 

As soon as the horde was beaten, a tall, overconfident teenager stood at the gate, reciting something Ranma wasn’t paying attention to.

 

"The toll of the bell at the temple of Gion,shows us of the transience of it-AAHOUGH” was all that he could belt out before getting kneed in the nuts by Ranma.

 

“I could’ve dealt with him you know.” Akane said, irritation in her voice.

 

“He spoke too much” Ranma replied, as the pair made their way into the building.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Meet the first of several supporting OCS, Juan Tendo. He's Soun's estranged Colombian Cousin, and a bit of a dick towards Soun. Hope you enjoy him, as there's a lot more where that came from.


	5. The Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where the series title gets its name. That and Ranma has a bad day at school. The two are probably related.

**Furinkan High - 8:30 AM - November 8, 1985**

 

Ranma felt that English class was going as slow as a snail stuck in molasses. Correction: Ranma was sure that said snail could still go faster than this. 

 

It wasn’t because Ranma sucked at English, she could pass off as a tourist if she tried. It was because of how overwhelming school seemed to be for someone like her, especially when crowds of people were involved.

 

Almost immediately after groin attacking that douche, whom Akane identified as Tatewaki Kuno, Ranma was swarmed by students curious about the new student at Furinkan High who managed to defeat Kuno without trying. When Akane pulled her away from the crowd, the curiosity only intensified as speculation arose about how the new girl was already familiar with Akane.

 

As they entered the classroom, Ranma did her best to not draw attention to herself, hoping that she could be left alone. 

 

Almost immediately, she got called up to the front by the teacher.

 

“Today, we’re getting a new student in class. She has been travelling in China for the past half decade. So please give a warm welcome to Ranma Saotome.”

 

‘So that failed spectacularly.’ she thought, as she got up to introduce herself to the class.

 

“Um, hi, I’m Ranma.” She awkwardly said. 

 

“Anything you want to add?” The teacher asked.

 

“No” Ranma replied, before going back to her seat.

 

‘I hope everyone else would leave me alone.’ she thought, as she walked back to her seat.

 

As the teacher started droning on about something related to grammar, Ranma did her best to tone out the oncoming barrage of questions from her fellow classmates.

 

“What is Akane like? You know, when it’s just the two of you?”

 

“When did you guys meet? I gotta know!”

 

“What’s your relationship with Akane like?”

 

“What’s your favorite color? Favorite food? TELL ME!”

 

“What’s your number beautiful?”

 

“How do you know her?”

 

“Where the hell am I?”

 

“Dinner?”

 

At that moment, overwhelmed by the questions, Ranma jumped out of her chair, broke through the door, and bolted out of the classroom. The last thing she could perceive was what she thought was Akane yelling at her, before the world collapsed into itself. 

  
  


**Joketsuzoku Village - 8:15 PM**

 

After a few months of business outside of the tribe(and more than a few potholes big enough to vore buildings) Khu Lon(or Cologne to anyone who may butcher the name) had finally returned to the village. 

 

However, what she arrived to was nothing short of bizarre.

 

“I’ve been out for a few months and everyone starts going nuts. So what the hell happened Pa Fum?” Cologne asked.

 

“It started a week ago, when the outsiders came in during the tournament.” Pa fum said.

 

“What did they look like?” Cologne inquired.

 

“One of the outsiders was a tall panda and the other was a short redhead. They both ate the prize feast meant for Shampoo.” She replied, pulling out a flask of water. Drinking it, she continues with the recap. “So the outsider challenged Shampoo and won, so she was given the Kiss of Death.”

 

“And she still hasn’t come back?” she asked.

 

“Pretty much.” Pa Fum replied. “But that's not what’s causing panic.”

 

“What is it then?” Cologne asked.

 

At that moment, a loud yell could be heard from a nearby building. 

 

“That’s what’s causing panic.” Pa Fum said. “Follow me, you have to see this.”

 

Pa Fum bolted into the building, with Cologne furiously pogoing behind.

 

What they saw inside was a green haired girl clad in blue doubled down on the floor, with her purple haired twin next to her, trying to comfort her.

 

“It started with Mousse blabbering something about while going completely hysterical a week back, and now Lung-Lung just did, well, that.” Pa Fum said, gesturing to the twins.

 

“So it’s either hidden memories or future visions.” Cologne surmised. “I know that the communists still have the sense not to bomb us yet, so it’s most likely the latter. If this is what I think it is, the elders will need to convene soon.”

 

“And if it’s what I’m thinking as well, then soon is stretching it.” Pa Fum said, before taking Lung Lung out of the room to tend to her.

 

**Furinkan High - 9:30 AM**

 

Akane scoured the halls for Ranma, having lost her in a stairwell. 

 

After searching through every floor, even after enlisting the help of her friends, she couldn’t find Ranma anywhere. 

 

On a suggestion from one of her friends, Sayuri, she went up to the roof. Right beside one of the electrical panels laid the curled up form of Ranma.

 

“Ranma? Are you okay?” she asked, getting no response in return.

 

Akane moved closer to Ranma, and noticed the thousand yard stare on the redhead’s face.

 

“Ranma, what happened to you?” she asked, mostly to herself, as she lifted the girl up bridal style.

 

As she was making her way to the stairs, she met up with Yuka, the other friend helping with the search.

 

“Akane, did you find-” she said, before seeing the pigtailed girl in Akane’s arms. “What happened to Ranma?” she asked, now worried.

 

“I don’t know exactly what happened, but Ranma’s catatonic.” Akane replied. “I’m gonna take her to Dr.Tofu.”

 

“I’ll let the others and Vice Principal Takahashi know.

 

**Tofu’s Clinic - 9:35 AM**

 

“Don’t forget to call me if anything goes wrong” a bespectacled man said, as one of his patients waved him goodbye

 

Dr.Tofu had just finished with his last patient for the next two hours, a noteworthy occurrence on its own, so he was planning on catching up on some reading.

 

Just as he cracked open his paperback version of Wrong Number, he heard a knock on the door.

 

Upon opening the door, he saw Akane in the door holding a small pigtailed redhead.

 

“Hello Akane.” He greeted. “Isn’t it a bit too early for you to be here?” 

 

“It is, but something’s happened to Ranma.” Akane replied. “She’s gone catatonic.”

 

Tofu’s expression shifted from friendly to serious. “Bring her in.” He said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

 

**????? - ??:?? ?M - ???????? ??, ????**

 

When Ranma came to, she found herself in front of what appeared to be a convenience store. Scanning her surroundings, she could see that there was a gas station in front of the store.

 

‘Never been here before, but this feels strangely familiar’ she thought, as she entered the store.

 

At the exact moment she pushed the door open, an ominous sounding siren blared out loud, and several people rushed out  of the store to see what’s going on.

 

“WE NEED TO GET TO SHELTER!” someone yelled.

 

“DUCK AND COVER” shouted the woman who shoved past her.

 

“THERE'S NO S̴̮̞̩̠̝͚͉̤͍̲̻͍̱͍͍̄ͨ̽͌̇̽̾ͥͮ͊̋͑͋ͪ̚͘͟͜H̴̸̸̨̒̋̽̈̚͏̰̖̘̱E̛̜͖̘͉̺̪̲̬̲ͦ́̀̿ͫ̆͂̄̒ͩ͌̉̿͝L̸̦̥̣̗̘̝̘̩͓͔̰̼̊ͮ̀̉̽ͬͨ͑ͮ̌̕͠ͅŢ̶̧ͭ͑͆ͧͥͫ̔͐̃ͭ̄̓̋ͫ͑͡͏͓̬̱̗̭̖̞̞̰̟͈̞͉̪̮̪̣̣̮E̴̝̻̼̮̲̙̘̝̘͍͓̹̟͚ͩ̂ͬ͌̿̄͌̐ͦ̕͘Ṛ̶͔̳͚̥̼̫̪̰̘̻͚͍̹̭͎̭̪̬͊̔̉̏͑ͬͨ̓́̀͢͝"̷̸̰̫̘͖̲̥̜̠̤͕̫͓̮͉̭̹̜̹̄ͫ͑̓ͮͬ͐͒ͣͤ̂̾͠

 

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_ There’s still time _

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_ You can change the world _

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Application C:/stories/Ranma/Vapor Memory/vapormemory.exe has crashed

 

Message: one or more files has been corrupted, requiring Vapor Memory to close.

 

Error code: 0x00000019


	6. The Line

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The villains appear, and Ranma learns what overstimulation is.

restarting vapormemory.exe   
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25%

_ How is she doing? _

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_ She looks healthy, but it seems like her chi is all messed up. _

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_ I hope she wakes up soon. _

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100%

  
  


**Tofu’s Clinic - 4:15 PM - November 8, 1985**

 

Ranma woke up in what felt like a bed. At least what she thought felt like a bed. She  couldn’t be sure what was what from the darkness, although she could make out the sound of rustling papers in another corner.

 

Reaching for her face, she felt a towel draped over it. Removing it, she sat up to scan her surroundings. 

 

The room wasn’t that big. To her left, there was a wall with a bunch of posters displaying information about various pressure points, how to avoid overstimulation, and Airplane III for some unknown reason. Behind her was a Panasonic brand TV set that was currently turned off, as well as a Walkman laying on top of that. In front of her was a fogged up window right next to a door, presumably for privacy’s sake. And to her right was Akane Tendo, sitting on one of the chairs, using a clipboard to do what seemed like homework.

 

‘Homework… yeah, I guess she missed out on a lot more than that,” Ranma internally lamented. “all because of me.”

 

“A-Akane? What happened?” Ranma asked

 

As soon as Akane heard that, she dropped the clipboard.

 

“Ranma?” Akane asked. “You’re awake?”

 

“I-it’s me. Sorry I made you miss school.” Ranma apologised.

 

Akane, in lieu of a response, simply hugged Ranma.

 

“You scared me back there.” Akane said, through sobs of relief.

 

“Sorry for doing that. .” Ranma softly apologized.

 

“No need to apologise for everything.” Akane mirthfully replied. “At least we don’t have to be on bucket duty today.”

 

“And have Kuno try to duel me during that? I’d rather not be the focus of his microdick complex thankyouverymuch.” Ranma snarked.

 

“Kuno’s more likely to ‘pursue your love’ than fight you over a loss, you know” Akane replied.

 

“That’s definitely worse.” Ranma said.

 

The faces of the pair of lovebirds were about a millimeter away from each other, too engrossed in each other to notice the door opening, or the two figures creeping through the door.

 

And then Ranma felt a hand on her left shoulder. Looking to said shoulder, she saw what seemed like a monster’s hand. So after her Neko-ken side took over and went through mental calculations at lightning speed, she did the only logical thing she could.

 

Like a cat, she jumped and twisted in the air, landing on top of Akane’s shoulders, resulting in a pile of tangled limbs on the floor.

 

In short, Neko-Ranma is bad at math.

 

“Sorry about that. Do you lovebirds need any help getting up?” a Michael J Foxish voice asked.

 

As Ranma craned her neck up as high as it could, she saw a tall, bespectacled man in dark blue and darker grey robes standing above her. 

 

Before she could process what he had said, Akane untangled herself from the pile of limbs and proceeded to lift Ranma off of the floor.

 

“Thanks doc, but we’re fine.” Akane said, as she propped Ranma back on the bed. 

 

“Sorry, that hand was just Betty, my skeleton.” Tofu said, pointing to the model skeleton by his side.

 

“It’s fine.” Ranma said, laughing a bit. “Didn’t expect that to happen.”

 

Akane took that moment to introduce Ranma to Doctor Tofu.

 

“This is doctor Tofu, our chiropractor.” she said.

 

“Nice to meet you doc,” Ranma said.  “And are you by any chance a martial artist as well?”

 

“Yes I am.” Tofu said. “How did you know?” he asked.

 

“Not many people can sneak up on a martial artist, save for other martial artists, so I kinda assumed that you were one.”

 

“You would be correct, although I don’t do very much outside of basic katas these days.” Tofu replied, laughing a bit at that. “Guess life just got in the way, not that I’m complaining.”

 

“So, what happened while I was out?” Ranma asked.

 

“I was about to get to that” Tofu replied. “So after Akane brought you in, I had to first stop you from shaking so much, so I had to use your pressure points to immobilize you for long enough to get to work. From what I could tell, your ki seemed scattered, most likely from overstimulation, if my hunch is correct.”

 

“What is overstimulation?” Ranma asked.

 

“Overstimulation is when your senses get bombarded with too much information, and your body shuts down as a result.” Tofu said. “By the way, Akane told me that your classmates bombarded you with questions, is that true?” Tofu asked.

 

“Pretty much” Ranma replied.

 

“Well that proves my hunch.” Tofu said, mostly to himself. 

 

“So how do I combat overstimulation. Do I just expose myself to even more of it?” Ranma asked.

 

“No. On the contrary, more stimulation only makes the effects worse. In the meantime, take these earmuffs. They’ll help with dampening out excess noise. Tofu said. “You and the Akane are free to go. I’ll just need to make a few calls to the school and your father in the meantime.”

 

With that, Ranma and Akane walked out of the clinic. Or more accurately, Ranma decided to carry Akane out of the clinic and jump the way to the dojo.

 

**Future site of the Neko Hanten - 5:30 PM**

 

As the sounds of music from all sorts of genres bared out of the surrounding shops, Shampoo stood in front of a vacant restaurant space in a somewhat secluded part of the shopping complex, with a map and deed in hand.

 

This vacant space in the heart of the Furinkan neighborhood was great for two reasons.

 

The first reason: it was cheap enough to pay entirely with cash alone.

 

The second reason: it was spacious enough to put a business in, which was good for having a source of income.

 

The third reason: it was only a 5 minute walk from the Tendo Dojo and only a minute away from Nerima station.

 

So Shampoo missed a reason, doesn’t matter in the long run.

 

There was only one problem: you can’t really run a business by yourself. Well you can, but it’d be very difficult to do so. So she took out a notebook from her bag, and made a list of names.

 

‘Maybe the twins could help’ Shampoo thought. ‘No, they’ll try and fight the customers, among other things.’

 

Shampoo crossed out their names, and moved on.

 

‘Pink and Li- why the fuck would I even consider asking them?’ she asked herself as she crossed their names off.

 

After a good 15 minutes of crossing off names, Shampoo was no closer to a decision than she was when she made the list.

 

Frustrated, she decided to vent off her frustrations with either some property damage or a drive through the city.

 

Finding the second option more appealing in terms of not destroying her conveniently located base, Shampoo went out through the back exit, locking the door behind her as she went through.

 

With a flick of her wrists, a pair of blank license plates and a set of car keys appeared in her left and right hands respectively. And by swinging her right arm, her most prized possession, a black and ultramarine 1972 AMC Javelin she got during a stay in Miami, appeared in a cascade of light.

 

After fixing the blank plates to the front and rear of the car, she climbed into the driver’s seat, adjusted the mirrors,and started the car. As the Javelin’s V8 roared to life, the blank plates morphed into Japanese style plates, complete with forged travel documents appearing in the glovebox.

 

Shampoo slammed the gas, launching the muscle car out of the back lot and onto the streets of Japan, with Perturbator’s Electric Dreams playing on the retrofitted tape deck.

 

**Unused Warehouse, Tokyo Harbor - at the same time**

 

In an inconspicuous warehouse in Tokyo Harbor, 6 figures stood around a table in the middle of the room, among machinery, a pair of shipping containers, and half-eaten chicken wings.

 

The man in the red jacket spoke up. “So here’s the plan: Tomorrow, the chopper will be loaded onto the OCL Vancouver by 5 AM, and the ship will depart by 8 AM, meaning that we have a 3 hour window before the ship leaves with our prize.”

 

Red Jacket pointed at marked points along a diagram of the Vancouver. “The ship will be heavily guarded by military personnel, as it is headed for some base in the Indian Ocean. The guards are rotated every hour, on the hour, along with video surveillance being employed all over the ship.”

 

Red Jacket pointed to a bored looking woman in the yellow sunglasses. “Yui’s gonna hack into the cameras at the start of the rotation to prevent video footage from identifying our actions. She will be able to give us about 4 minutes at most to pull off the heist, so we have to work fast.”

 

Red Jacket next pointed to a vaguely mediterranean looking man who was focusing on the ship diagram on the table. “Claude here will launch the canisters of knockout gas, which is mixed in with the Formula 911 shampoo graciously stolen by Taro here to forget that anything happened here. 

 

Red Jacket then pointed to a weird guy leaning against a box, wearing pantyhose for a belt. “Taro will then utilize his… thingy form to carry the dummy container up to the top, and replace the container carrying the chopper with said dummy.”

 

Red Jacket finally pointed to the twins to his left, who were eating some of the fried chicken. “Sentaro and Ruo will then assist Taro with loading the container on the truck, which I will drive to the location specified by our client.”

 

Red Jacket took a pause to drink some water, before continuing.

 

“By now, all of you should’ve memorized your codenames, so remember to use them. Any questions before we disperse?”

 

“Yeah, when will we get paid?”   
  
You will be paid a week after the heist, and it will be in cash.” Red Jacket replied. “Anyone else have any questions?” he asked, directing it towards Claude in particular.

 

“Two of them actually. First, why don’t we know where the chopper’s going?” Claude asked. “And second, won’t a fucking manbearpig draw unwanted attention to us from fucking Senshi or something?” he added, to Taro’s annoyance.

 

With an annoyed sigh, Red Jacket answered both of the infuriating Frenchman’s questions. “First, our client is a representative from another nation, so we do not want any spies to find out where we’re taking the chopper. And second, the Sailor Senshi are too busy with demons in Juuban, that they won’t notice a flying cryptid switching shipping containers on an unassuming cargo ship.” After another glass of water, he continued. “Anyone who doesn’t eat frogs have any questions?” he asked. “No? Okay then. Go back to your apartments and get plenty of rest. We all wake up at 3 AM on the dot.

 

At that, the assembled crew started to disperse, before Red Jacket stopped Taro.

 

“The hell do you want fuckboy?” Taro asked.

 

“When our Clients arrive, don’t try to kill them. Their survival is the only way we get paid.”

 

“Yeah yeah whatever” Taro said, shoving past Red Jacket and taking the rest of the fried chicken before grouping up with Claude and Yui.

 

“Remember,” Yui said. “Once the client comes to the location Taro said they’d be at, we kill Red, the twins, and the client, and take the chopper and money for ourselves. Understand?” 

 

“Oui mam” said Claude, followed by a nod from Taro.

 

The trio then disperse, with Yui and Claude going west to Shinjuku, and Taro going east to Edogawa.

 

**Tendo Household - 7:30 PM**

 

As night fell over Nerima, the Tendo household was at work at their various tasks and chores. While Kasumi was cooking a Colombian-Japanese fusion to the tune of Done With Mirrors by Aerosmith, Soun and Genma were playing a seemingly friendly game of Shogi in a corner of the living room, with both players trying to out-cheat each other. Nabiki could be seen talking to someone over a Motorola cell phone, before walking out the door and to a taxi waiting outside the compound. Going upstairs, the disaster lesbian couple of Ranma and Akane can be seen, with Akane helping Ranma out with math and other stuff.

 

“Man, Math’s hard as hell.” Ranma said, after 2 nerve-wracking hours of Algebra.

 

“Well look on the bright side.” Akane said. “At least you don’t have to deal with this tomorrow.”

 

_ Meanwhile in the living room _

 

At that moment, the doorbell rang. Since most of the household was busy with something, and Genma too lazy to be bothered with getting up, Soun went to answer the door, with Genma quickly rearranging the Shogi pieces as he went out of their corner. 

 

“If this is about the Fuku Incident then go-” he said, with an annoyed tone, as the door opened to reveal Yuka and Sayuri on the other side.

 

“Hi Uncle Soun,” Yuka greeted. “Did we come at a bad time?”

 

 “You’ve come at a great time. Are you both here to check on Akane and Ranma?” He asked, taking on a more cheerful demeanor.

 

“Pretty much.” Sayuri replied.

 

”Then come on in. They both should be in Akane’s room” he said, as he led the two girls inside. 

 

_ Back in Akane’s room _

 

After the 90th faceslam and a crash course in math from year 4 onwards, Ranma had finally finished her algebra homework.

 

“Why does math have to be sooo evillll…” Ranma groaned, sounding as physically exhausted as she was mentally. 

 

“Well, you did skip multiple years of school, and did decently well in spite of it.” Akane replied.

 

“My point still staaandsss.” Ranma groaned, exhaustion very apparent in her voice.

 

Without either of them realizing it, Akane’s hands found their way onto Ranma’s shoulders, and began massaging them, much to Ranma’s delight.

 

Which would leave the pair in a  _ fairly  _ compromising position, if anyone were to barge in.

 

And speaking of, the bedroom door creaked opened to reveal Yuka and Sayuri, wearing a surprised and gleeful look respectively. 

 

Caught like a deer in headlights, What Ranma had to say next perfectly summed up her and Akane’s situation in three words.

 

“Well, fuck me” she said.

 

“How very forward of you” Sayuri replied, her already wide grin somehow going wider.

 

A wail could be heard from as far away Juuban, to the annoyance of quite a few Senshi in the vicinity.


	7. Late Night part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ryoga finally fights Ranma, and a timeskip happens. Also, Taro is a dick.

**???? - 12:20 PM  - November 15, 1985**

 

After weeks of getting lost involving a gigantic marshmallow man, aliens in tiger striped bikinis, tinpot dictators, and an incident in Canada he was sure never happened, Ryoga had finally found where Ranma Saotome would be. 

 

‘And he’s at a school. Because  _ of course  _ that honorless bastard hides there.’ he thought.

 

At that moment, he experienced a near debilitating flash, depicting a grown up version of the Ranma he remembered,  _ transforming  _ into a red haired girl via water.

 

“So you’re a girl now, eh?” Ryoga said. “No matter. Boy or girl, you’re still going to die.” 

 

Somehow ending up at a hillside on the grounds out of sheer luck, he spotted the redhead sitting with three other girls.

 

Readying a pair of bandanas, enhanced via his Iron Cloth technique, he threw them at Ranma, followed by the battle cry turned madness mantra he had recited for at least five years.

 

“RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!”

 

**Furinkan High - 12:30 PM**

 

The past week was surreal, yet enjoyable. For once, she didn’t have to endure the once daily ambush courtesy of the potato first thing in the morning, nor did she get used to defraud the latest potential in-laws out of a dowry, nor get used to clean up the shitstorm said potato will inevitably leave. School was also surprisingly mundane, save for the hentai horde trying to beat Akane in one last rush ending in at least 100 people in the hospital, and Kuno being a lech. 

 

Making new friends was also nice, given how the potato usually never let her have any for longer than a week. Yuka was fun to snark with, and had a keen eye for fashion. And Sayuri was chaotic(in a good way), if a bit lecherous.

 

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and that came spectacularly during lunch.

 

As the quartet sat outside with their bentos, a vision quickly flashed through Ranma’s mind. 

 

Acting on the vision, Ranma pulled Akane on her back, held Yuka and Sayuri by their hands, and quickly jumped away, just as a pair of marigold boomerangs struck the spot they were sitting before.

 

“RANMA SAOTOME, PREPARE TO DIE!” the attacker yelled, as more boomerangs sliced at Ranma.

 

Making sure that Akane, Yuka, and Sayuri were far enough away from the fight, Ranma charged towards the attacker.

 

“WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK WAS THAT FOR!?” Ranma shout-asked, dodging a swing from the stranger’s umbrella mid-jump before nailing him in the face with a kick.

 

“Stay still so I can kill you.” The attacker said, trying to land a blow on Ranma.

 

“I can obviously tell that you’re slow as hell.”

 

Ranma dodged another swing of the umbrella, before adding in another quip.

 

“And holy hell you’re as predictable as a blockbuster.” she said, before getting nailed in the face by said umbrella.

 

“GODDAMIT JACKASS” Ranma shouted, her brief disorientation giving her attacker the perfect opportunity to close the gap between them.

 

And all he got for that was a mallet to the face, courtesy of Akane. With a yell, he was launched out of Japan, striking the hull of a sonic cruiser before landing in American Samoa.

 

“I could’ve handled that,” Ranma said, still clutching her face. 

 

“Not like that you aren’t.” Akane said. “He could’ve defeated you if I waited just a bit longer.”

 

“But thanks anyways,” Ranma said. “And next time, could you please aim downwards with your swing? I woulda liked to find out who the hell he was.”

 

“Any guesses?” Akane asked.

 

“Not a fucking clue.” Ranma replied.

 

**Neko Hanten - 3:30 PM**

 

_ “-in a new development in the saga of the dockyard attack, which left 12 dead and 21 hospitalized, the substance found in large traces on board the OCL Vancouver was found to be a combination of knockout gas and a memory blocking compound. Authorities suspect that they were mixed together and aerosolized causing-” _

 

Shampoo turned the break room tv to a movie channel playing an Eric Stoltz marathon, currently on Back to the Future.

 

‘Memory blocking? How would anything be able to do that?’ she thought. ‘Wait. It’s Formula 911. How could anyone get that here? Unless…’

 

“Shampoo dear, are you okay?”

 

Shampoo’s train of thought was broken by the voice of Pan Cho, Shampoo’s long time best friend and de-facto sibling from both China and the tribe’s outpost in Miami.

 

“I’m fine, just thinking about... stuff, that’s all.” Shampoo replied.

 

“Shampoo, I know you better than you do, and something’s definitely on your mind.” Cho said, with concern in her voice. “So tell me, what’s on your mind?”

 

Shampoo drank the can of 7up next to her before speaking. “Okay, so you know about the attack on that cargo ship?”

 

“Where those people were either turned into human salsa or had amnesia in the hospital?” Cho asked.

 

“Apparently, they found traces of knockout gas and memory blocking stuff. If my hunch is correct, someone stole some Formula 911 and used it in the attack.” Shampoo said. “And if the photos taken from the dock are to be believed, at least one of them is Jusenkyo cursed.”

 

“What Jusenkyo curse makes...whatever the hell it is?” Cho asked. 

 

“I dunno, but whomever it is, I bet they’re gonna find and harm Ranma.” Shampoo said.

 

“Who also went through a Jusenkyo curse and is now your lesbian crush.” Cho added.

 

“Pretty much.” Shampoo said. “And if my visions are correct, they’ll end up fighting at some mall.”

 

“You know, I’d be inclined to retort about your visions being caused by being high,” Cho started. “but considering what happened to Mousse, Ling-Ling, and Lung-Lung, I believe you. So when did you say this takes place?” Cho asked.

 

“Around 7:30-oooh shit.” 

 

“What happened?” Cho asked, noticing the dread on Shampoo’s face.

 

“He’s attacking during the dinner rush. We’re gonna be occupied when the attack happens!” Shampoo said, as she was about to freak out. 

 

“Don’t worry. Elaine and I can cover for you while you do your thing.” Cho said, to the relief of Shampoo.

 

“Thanks Cho, you’re a real lifesaver.” Shampoo said, embracing the taller girl in a hug.

 

“Not a problem. Anything for a friend.” Cho replied. “Just don’t take too long.” Cho added, with a smirk.

 

“Yeah yeah, whatever” Shampoo replied.

 

**Tendo Household - 6:30 PM**

 

“Does this dress look right?” Ranma asked, trying out a teal and gray jacket and dress combo. 

 

“I think the skirt looks great,” Akane said. “But it looks better with the purple jacket instead of the teal.

 

The Tendo household was abuzz with activity, with the various members and freeloader busy with plans for that night.

 

While Kasumi was finishing up dinner early to get to a rock concert by 8, Nabiki was busy going over a stack of notes from her crew, Soun was trying to hook a Famicom+ to the TV, and Ranma was busy trying on outfits for her and Akane’s night out at the mall.

 

“How about now?” Ranma asked, as she tried on the grey skirt and purple jacket.

 

“I think you look cute in that.” Akane said, resulting in the redhead’s face glowing redder than her hair.

 

_ Downstairs _

 

In one of the increasingly rare instances where Nabiki and Kasumi were alone, Kasumi and Nabiki were both in the kitchen, with Kasumi washing the plate she had used earlier for dinner.

 

“Nabiki, do you need anything?” Kasumi asked.

 

“I’m just here to say that I’m happy that you’re doing something for yourself, for once.” Nabiki said.

 

“I guess with how busy life has gotten over the last year, and especially in the past week, I guess I really needed a break from the chaos.” Kasumi replied.

 

“That’s great, but you don’t have to deal with us all the time.” Nabiki said.

 

“What do you mean?” Kasumi asked. “I wouldn’t trade our family for the world. You know how much I-“

 

“DON’T finish that sentence Kasumi.” Nabiki interrupted. “No matter HOW many times you repeat that bullshit, it’s not gonna change the fact that our family is very screwed up.”

 

“And someone has to keep the family together Nabiki.” Kasumi said. “You know what our father became after mom died.”

 

“Kasumi. Mom has been dead for EIGHT YEARS” Nabiki shouted, emphasizing the last two words. “I AGREE THAT SOMEONE NEEDS TO KEEP THIS FAMILY SANE, BUT YOU SHOULD NOT THROW YOUR LIFE AWAY FOR THAT.”

 

Kasumi sighed, before continuing.

 

“Nabiki, I already became a money sink the day I started my transition.” Kasumi said. “I couldn’t be any more of a burden on our family, so I had to do what I could.”

 

“And you can start by going to college. I’ve done the numbers over and over again, and had Ryonami triple check them each time. With what I rake in, I can easily pay your tuition, your electrolysis, and your HRT. Just don’t throw your life away Kasumi. I’m willing to fund everything for you, but only if you promise me that you won’t stay here.”

 

At that moment, Ranma and Akane went down the stairs.

 

“We’re going to the mall now. Have fun at your concert Kasumi.” Akane said, as they passed by the kitchen. 

 

“Stay safe Akane. You too Ranma. And have fun!.” Kasumi said as they went out.

 

“This isn’t over, Kasumi. Just, think about what I said, okay?”

 

“I will.” Kasumi said, as she went to the phone to call a cab.

 

As that happened, Nabiki went to the other side of the compound, taking out a walkie-talkie.

 

“Kotone? This is Nabiki. Meet me at the mall.”

 

**Starlight Plaza - 7:00 PM**

 

The pair of technicolor haired girls were joined by Yuka and Sayuri, as they browsed the shelves of a record store.

 

“Have you ever listened to Mariya Takeuchi?” Yuka asked.

 

“To be honest, haven’t heard of her. I was too busy getting into trouble thanks to my old man.” Ranma replied, anger forming at the last two words.

 

“What about David Bowie?” Sayuri asked.

 

“Not him either.” Ranma replied.

 

“Giorgio Moroder?” Akane asked.

 

“Only heard one single before the store got trashed.” Ranma said.

 

“Ranma, your dad did a grave mistake when he deprived you of music. And THAT IS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY!” Yuka said, lapsing into ham mode.

 

As the trio of girls pulled Ranma through shelves of vinyls, Nabiki and her right hand seer/girlfriend Kotone were observing the events in the store from a cafe across from said store.

 

“What are we looking for?” Nabiki asked Kotone. 

 

“Well, there’s two people we’re looking for.” Kotone said. “First one’s that bandana guy who attacked Ranma, and the second is the Pantyhose guy, who most likely was involved in that gore fest of a heist on the ship.” 

 

“And they’re likely to attack my sister, her fiance, and her friends?” Nabiki asked. “Just as a refresher.” 

 

“Pretty much.” Kotone said. “I’ve also had this theory about what has been happening.” she added.

 

“There are these ‘memories’ floating about now. Not sure how they came about, but they seem tied to certain people, events, locations, and possibly objects. You saw how Ranma reacted to the bandana guy. Both of us know that the reaction time is too fast, even for a martial artist of her caliber, and I’m sure it’s one of those ‘memories’.”

 

“So these ‘Vapor Memories’ are telling you that there’s trouble happening soon?” Nabiki asked?

 

“Pretty much.” Kotone said. “And nice name for the memory thing. But yeah, the technicolor couple will do fine, someone’s coming to bail them if there’s trouble.The problem is that Yuka and Sayuri aren’t martial artists.”

 

“They can’t fight off chaos easily. We’re gonna have to bail them out, aren’t we?” Nabiki asked.

 

“If the chaos goes our way, we won’t have to, but we need to be prepared regardless.”Kotone answered. “Speaking of, bandana guy at 11.”

 

At that moment, Ryoga was walking out of the 7/11 right next to the record store, confused and mildly annoyed at how he somehow went from a Calexico 7/11 to a 7/11 in a mall within the span of buying a root beer slushie. 

 

“Where the hell am I now?” He asked himself, before spotting the record store’s sign.

 

‘At least I’m back in Japan. That’s a start.’ He thought, before spotting Ranma walking out of the record store. 

 

‘And I’m in luck. Ranma’s here as well.’ he added, this time pulling out a deceptively heavy umbrella.

 

“YOU WON’T ESCAPE THIS TIME RANMA! PREPARE TO DIE!” he yelled, charging towards the redhead.

 

Ranma, hearing the death threat, shoved the other girls out of the way before dodging the umbrella strike.

 

“Not this shit again.” Ranma grumbled, as she dodged more jabs from the umbrella, using it as a springboard to launch a jump kick at Ryoga’s face.

 

“Peh. Like that would faze me.” Ryoga said, still reeling from the kick to the face. This left him open to a barrage of punches from Ranma

 

_ On a walkway above the fight _

 

Taro was looking at the ensuing fight with equal parts interest and disdain. Taking a break from his “day job” of killing shit and stealing more shit, and growing more impatient with the lack of a paycheck, Taro decided to blow off some steam, mainly by being a dick to anyone that just so happened to walk near him.

 

“They fight like pussies” he said, to himself. “I could very easily crush the both of them even without my beast form.”

 

As he turned to go blow money on useless plastic crap, he spotted a trio of girls landing near an ice cream stand.

 

Moving closer, he heard Tendo from one of the girls.

 

‘The old prune mentioned a Tendo and Saotome at some point.’ Taro thought. ‘Eh, I’ll ask them about it, then rob ‘em.’

 

“Hello. Might you ladies know anything about Tendo?” He asked, as he moved in front of them.

 

Akane, sensing danger from the pantyhose wearing creep, held Yuka’s and Sayuri’s hands, preparing to attack Taro and run away.

 

“Um, we don’t know who you are pantyhose creep.” Sayuri replied, absolutely done with him after just under 20 seconds.

 

“YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP” Taro yelled, as he lunged at her, aiming for the neck.

 

Before that could happen, Akane delivered a crushing punch to the skull, disabling him long enough to get Yuka and Sayuri to safety before he could react.

 

“YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT” Taro yelled, as he tried to decapitate Akane with a sword.

 

Akane managed to dodge the swing, at the cost of her hair getting sliced off.

 

A collective gasp could be heard from Yuka, Sayuri, and some other people who knew Akane as the long locks of hair were cut off.

 

“If I wasn’t already mad before, you really fucked up now.” Akane coldly said, before charging at Taro, with her mallet materializing in her hands.

 

Taro barely managed to parry the blow, before using the momentum of the swing to throw her two floors up, where she got embedded in an American style restaurant storefront.

 

“Damn you pantyhose jackass.” she said, as she pried herself out of the Akane sized hole in the restaurant ceiling. “YOU RUINED MY NIGHT!” 

 

At that, she swung down at Taro as he jumped after her, launching him through the floors, back on the level the fight started.

 

Taro couldn’t retaliate fast enough to prevent Akane from slamming the hammer into Taro’s crotch, sending him into an exposed elevator shaft.

 

In an act of desperation, as Akane moved to strike more blows at Pantyhose clad fighter, Taro began trying to break a pipe that looked like it connected to something else. His gambit worked, as the pipe doused him in water, triggering his transformation. 

 

The elevator shaft burst open when it couldn’t contain the cursed sociopath, revealing the very monster responsible for the worst murder/theft spree in Nerima since 1977.

 

_ Back with Ranma and Ryoga _

 

“GAH! You’re as irritating as ever Ranma.” Ryoga said, landing an uppercut on Ranma’s chin, sending her flying into a neon arcade sign.

 

“I have no Idea who the hell he is, and he’s trying to kill me. Because _ of course  _ that happens.” Ranma grumbled, as she pulled herself out of the hole made from her impact.

 

“You still don’t recognize me Ranma? I’m quite offended.” Ryoga said. “Maybe this should help.” He said, as he wound up for another punch.

 

“Wait. You’re Hibiki?” Ranma asked, as she finally connected the dots between her admittedly spotty memories of the bandana kid in middle school and the face in front of her. “Congrats on the transition man, can you not attack me?” She asked.

 

“Why thanks and-STOP DISTRACTING ME DAMMIT!” he said, jabbing the umbrella at Ranma, who just leaned under the umbrella before springing back.

 

“Seriously, why are you attacking me right now?” Ranma asked, not so subtly showing irritation at Ryoga. “Especially when I’m with frie-oh shit.” 

 

The sight that greeted Ranma as she turned to where Akane and friends were supposed to be was of a man-bear-pig type...thingy, exactly like the one on the news.

 

“Yeah, guess I’m the one to blame for that, eh?” Ryoga said, with a slight sardonic tone.

 

“A little bit.” Ranma replied. “Do you mind setting aside the fight for now, and helping me fight that thing?”

 

“Sure. But this fight is not over.” Ryoga replied.

 

“Fine by me.” Ranma said.

 

Faster than most people could ever perceive, Ranma shot off towards the thing trying to swat down Akane, Yuka, and Sayuri.

 

**On the highway near Starlight Plaza - 7:30 PM**

 

The powerful engine of the Javelin roared through the oncoming night as the car thundered down the highway, carrying an equally powerful Amazon inside.

 

Shampoo could not waste time on the highway views, however, since she knew that something will attack Ranma and that mystery girl were in imminent danger, and the mall just so happened to be on the exact opposite side of Nerima.

 

_ “Witnesses are reporting a large creature, physically similar to the one reported by witnesses to the OCL Vancouver killings, wreaking havoc within the Starlight Plaza mall, located in the Wakaba neighborhood of the Nerima ward. Casualty numbers are uncertain, but-” _

 

As Shampoo changed radio stations, harsh electronic music started playing, conveniently fitting Shampoo’s mood at the moment.

 

“Time to save my Airen, and that cute mystery girl as well.” she said, with grim determination.

 

The opening of the track crescendoed as the mall came into sight. Speeding up, while making sure to reinforce the car with her ki, Shampoo broke through the concrete barrier, and jumped off the ramp, crashing through the skylight at the top.

 

**Starlight Plaza - 7:32 PM**

 

Taro gradually grew more irritated as he fought the trio of martial artists who were somehow able to counter the immense strength and speed of his monstrous form.

 

And whenever a hulking brute gets angry, property damage will follow.

 

Like many skilled brutes before and after, Taro weaponized this fact in his favor. 

 

Chair after chair, pipe after pipe, fake tree after fake tree, the trio of human martial artists were worn down by the barrage of objects thrown at them.

 

Ranma in particular was heavily affected by the barrage, barely standing in the face of the cursed psycho. 

 

At that moment, a car crashed through the skylight, and knocked Taro to the ground before dissipating in a cascade of light. 

 

What remained, or who remained to be specific, was a face she hoped wouldn’t show up now.

 

"Ohshitshampooshereimgonnafuckingdie." she rambled, very sure that she would die then and there.

 

Dropping to her knees in fatigue, Ranma braced for what was to come.

 

What she didn’t expect was for Shampoo to offer her a hand while quoting the one Kyle Reese line she really remembered from The Terminator.

 

“Come with me if you want to live.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And a wild cliffhanger appears.
> 
> Also, Kotone is co created by Psiidmon and myself as a seer and a love interest for Nabiki. Check out their fic right here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19812289/chapters/46910263
> 
> The music playing as Shampoo drops in is Future Club by Perturbator. I like the Hotline Miami games, especially for the soundtracks.


End file.
